5 BLOGGING TIPS | ON HAVING A VOICE

I love turning to my readers for inspiration on what to post next. Sometimes I find myself at a real stand-still and the only way to move forward is to get some feedback from my audience. After all, I’m here for you. Something that has been brought up a lot lately is my Instagram Stories. Apparently they work in my favor because I’m giving a real glimpse into my day-to-day life, as well as showing more of my personality and voice. Well first off, thank you! I love that you guys like me just as I am (life is a lot easier when you can be yourself!). But honestly, IG Stories has created this whole new platform for me that I really, truly value.

I find myself connecting with my readers and viewers more than ever. We have talked about how time-consuming it is, but what else should I be doing with my time?! I mean, am I really too busy to respond to the people who have given me the opportunity to be an Influencer?! Before I totally bite myself in the ass I should preface this statement by saying that, yes, I do more than just take cute pics and respond to comments on Instagram. We all know that building a blog as a business takes a lot of time–emails, strategy, meetings, networking, content creation, editing, etc. Don’t get me wrong, my days are FULL, but I make it a priority to reply and connect with my audience as much as possible.

I don’t know about you, but when I watch other people’s IG Stories I find myself tapping really fast when I get to accounts that overuse filters, don’t speak, or show the same things. Reason being, I follow a good amount of people on Instagram and I need something stimulating and different if I’m going to watch your Story. The ones who face the camera, let me hear their voice (literally and metaphorically), and are comfortable in their own skin are the ones I crave more from. I want to see more people that inspire me and give me something I don’t already see. Does that make sense?

With that being said, I’ve been asked many times if I could share tips for feeling more comfortable in front of the camera when filming on IG Stories or Snapchat. Trust me, I get it. I’ve had the thought ‘does this ever get easier?!’ more than once, and the answer is YES. It does get easier, but it takes lots and lots of practice. To read more about my tips on this scroll down for more.

5 TIPS FOR FEELING MORE COMFORTABLE ON CAMERA:

-Stop overthinking. First and foremost, just stop thinking about it. I know it is easier said than done, but just imagine you’re speaking to someone casually, rather than a staged monologue on camera. You don’t panic and get nervous gossiping with your girlfriend at coffee do you? Of course not. Pretend the camera is your group of girlfriends. If needed, do it while you’re sipping on some wine, might help loosen you up a bit. Just don’t make a habit out of ONLY talking when you’re buzzed.

-Don’t script yourself. Mistakes are sometimes what might resonate with your audience even more than what you’re actually saying. Because let’s be real, most people are not getting blogger mail on the reg that they have to unbox on camera. So while that part is entertaining to your following, it’s not exactly relatable. Making mistakes while speaking though, is. Plus, it’s SO obvious when you’ve practiced or planned your speech rather than just letting it naturally flow. Have fun with it. SUCH cheesy advice, I know. But honestly, showing your audience that you’re okay laughing at yourself and being silly goes a long way.

-Don’t depend on filters 24/7. Sure, we’ve all been there. You look like shit but need to get on camera. Throw on the good ole pig or cat filter on Snapchat and suddenly you’re cuter than if you were all made up (story of my life!). BUT, the voice changing feature is super obnoxious for more than 1 or 2 snaps, and people want to see the real you (even though I’m way cuter as a pig????).

-Don’t feel the need to replicate. If you follow more than a handful of bloggers most likely you’re seeing a lot of the same thing. Maybe it’s just a subliminal instinct to post what you’re watching, but it seems like a good amount of bloggers post the same thing (myself included): boxes of new product, flay-lays of product(s) thanking brands, Boomerangs drinking cocktails, etc. etc. While it’s part of my day, I definitely find that my audience is more receptive to things like me speaking to the camera or a conversation with Paul. I can’t help but think it’s because they’ve seen 10000000 girls doing all of the above, but one thing for sure is no one can replace me speaking to the camera. Be you, and in doing so, your content is more original and authentic (without even trying).

-Mute your video. When I post to my IG Stories I mute my videos while editing (adding text, filter, etc.). I think it’s a proven fact that no one likes the sound of their own voice, right?! So to avoid torturing myself, I mute it, edit it, then post. And aside from saving myself from the cringe-worthy sound of my own voice, it doesn’t give me the opportunity to change my mind because I didn’t like the way I said something or how I sound. What’s done is done.

I watch my day’s Story back each night and by then my audience has seen it, commented on it, and so far no one has ever once commented about my annoying voice, that I stumbled over my words, that I sound dumb, etc. Basically all the things that I would overthink in the beginning are all in my head. And if people ARE thinking that, who cares. Be confident in who you are and that’s what people will see, not your “mistakes.”